The House Freedom Caucus pressured Speaker Mike Johnson (R.-La.). If he cannot win concessions from conservative policy riders, he should put forward a stopgap financing bill that would automatically cut government spending.

In a Wednesday letter to Johnson, the hardline conservative caucus asked for an updated on spending talks with Democrats before a deadline of March 1, to avoid a partial shutdown.

The caucus wrote in its letter that “With the expiration date of government funding fast approaching, negotiations are continuing behind closed doors. As a result, the text for omnibus legislation is likely to be released as soon as possible before it’s rushed onto the floor for a quick vote.” House Republicans shouldn’t be kept in the dark about the current status of spending levels and hard-fought policies provisions.

Johnson is under pressure from his right-wing to maintain the current bipartisan spending levels and push for policy riders on abortion, diversity, border issues, and other GOP priorities.

In the letter, there are provisions that reduce the salary of “Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to zero dollars,” defund Planned Parenthood and target the Pentagon’s policy on abortion travel. Other items include a criticism of some of Biden’s administration’s actions regarding student loans and funding of what was described as “a new, massive Pentagon-sized Headquarters for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”

According to the letter, “Many (and others) of these important policy were crucial in securing bills’ passage in both the Appropriations committee and the House last” year. There are MANY policies and personnel which Congress should not fund, and a failure in eliminating them will reduce even the likelihood that the appropriations bill will be supported by a majority of Republicans.

The group questioned, “If we’re not going to achieve significant policy changes, or even keep spending under the caps adopted by a bipartisan majority less than a year ago? Why would we continue when we could pass a one-year funding resolution that saves Americans $100 billion the first year?”

According to a budget caps agreement brokered by President Biden and Kevin McCarthy (R – California) last year. lawmakers agreed to set spending limits for fiscal 2024. They also agreed on a penalty of automatic cuts which could go into effect in April, if Congress did not finish funding its work before then.

Some experts warn that if a continuing resolution funding plan (CR) is implemented for the entire year, it could result in much more severe budget constraints than what lawmakers had bargained for. This idea has already been opposed by both Democrats and Republicans.

Some members of Congress have already expressed concern that Congress may need to pass another short-term funding measure next week in order to keep certain parts of government open, as bipartisan spending discussions heat up.